Proposal to Dissolve C-123 Veterans Association

The Last Bag Drag.
Time to file the voucher and head home.
Mission complete.

If things go through this week as VA has indicated, our reason for existence draws to a close. We told VA we'd been exposed to Agent Orange, and at long last the VA will begin treating our Agent Orange illnesses and providing the full range of care and benefits due us.

So there is nothing remaining that is unique to us. We've argued our case and won, and now the proposal for all to consider is simply dissolving our casual association, and inviting all members to affiliate with the Vietnam Veterans of America.

VVA is organized to meet our needs. Their service officers understand the VA and Agent Orange issues, and we share with VVA members the full range of veterans concerns. In particular, we have an abiding concern for veterans of all toxic exposures, something the VVA will fight for on our behalf and with our small number of airmen added to their ranks.

We'd thought of an aviation-focused chapter, but VVA's structure makes that impractical. Because we're spread all across the nation we can't enjoy the fellowship of other veterans unless allied with VVA and other service organizations such as VFW, DAV and the Legion.

Because of some continuing issues such as FOIA suits and Yale's representation of us on important cases, we will continue as an entity until these things are resolved. I'll also continue to blog as the mood strikes me...I've come to enjoy this as something of a focused journal

A note: of all the service organizations, while a couple like PVA and DAV mentioned us occasionally in their publications, our cause was championed by the VVA and the American Legion.

To both, we say "thank you, brothers."